3G refers to the third generation of mobile telephony (that is, cellular) technology. The third generation, as the name suggests, follows two earlier generations.The first generation (1G) began in the early 80's with commercial deployment of Advanced Mobile Phone Service (AMPS) cellular networks. Early AMPS networks used Frequency Division Multiplexing Access (FDMA) to carry analog voice over channels in the 800 MHz frequency band.The second generation (2G) emerged in the 90's when mobile operators deployed two competing digital voice standards. In North America, some operators adopted IS-95, which used Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) to multiplex up to 64 calls per channel in the 800 MHz band. Across the world, many operators adopted the Global System for Mobile communication (GSM) standard, which used Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to multiplex up to 8 calls per channel in the 900 and 1800 MHz bands.The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) defined the third generation (3G) of mobile telephony standards – IMT-2000 – to facilitate growth, increase bandwidth, and support more diverse applications. For example, GSM could deliver not only voice, but also circuit-switched data at speeds up to 14.4 Kbps. But to support mobile multimedia applications, 3G had to deliver packet-switched data with better spectral efficiency, at far greater speeds.However, to get from 2G to 3G, mobile operators had make "evolutionary" upgrades to existing networks while simultaneously planning their "revolutionary" new mobile broadband networks. This lead to the establishment of two distinct 3G families: 3GPP and 3GPP2.The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) was formed in 1998 to foster deployment of 3G networks that descended from GSM. 3GPP technologies evolved as follows. • General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) offered speeds up to 114 Kbps.• Enhanced Data Rates for Global Evolution (EDGE) reached up to 384 Kbps.• UMTS Wideband CDMA (WCDMA) offered downlink speeds up to 1.92 Mbps.• High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) boosted the downlink to 14Mbps.• LTE Evolved UMTS Terrestrial Radio Access (E-UTRA) is aiming for 100 Mbps.GPRS deployments began in 2000, followed by EDGE in 2003. While these technologies are defined by IMT-2000, they are sometimes called "2.5G" because they did not offer multi-megabit data rates. EDGE has now been superceded by HSDPA (and its uplink partner HSUPA). According to the 3GPP, there were 166 HSDPA networks in 75 countries at the end of 2007. The next step for GSM operators: LTE E-UTRA, based on specifications completed in late 2008.A second organization – the 3rd Generation Partnership Project 2 (3GPP2) -- was formed to help North American and Asian operators using CDMA2000 transition to 3G. 3GPP2 technologies evolved as follows.• One Times Radio Transmission Technology (1xRTT) offered speeds up to 144 Kbps.• Evolution – Data Optimized (EV-DO) increased downlink speeds up to 2.4 Mbps.• EV-DO Rev. A boosted downlink peak speed to 3.1 Mbps and reduced latency.• EV-DO Rev. B can use 2 to 15 channels, with each downlink peaking at 4.9 Mbps.• Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) was slated to reach 288 Mbps on the downlink.1xRTT became available in 2002, followed by commercial EV-DO Rev. 0 in 2004. Here again, 1xRTT is referred to as "2.5G" because it served as a transitional step to EV-DO. EV-DO standards were extended twice – Revision A services emerged in 2006 and are now being succeeded by products that use Revision B to increase data rates by transmitting over multiple channels. The 3GPP2's next-generation technology, UMB, may not catch on, as many CDMA operators are now planning to evolve to LTE instead.In fact, LTE and UMB are often called 4G (fourth generation) technologies because they increase downlink speeds an order of magnitude. This label is a bit premature because what constitutes "4G" has not yet been standardized. The ITU is currently considering candidate technologies for inclusion in the 4G IMT-Advanced standard, including LTE, UMB, and WiMAX II. Goals for 4G include data rates of least 100 Mbps, use of OFDMA transmission, and packet-switched delivery of IP-based voice, data, and streaming multimedia. Getting started with 3G To explore how 3G is used in the enterprise, here are additional resources:Wireless 3G and 4G data standards: Central to business customers: Research shows that wireless data standards make a difference when enterprises decide which service provider should carry business applications.3G, 4G services advance, but old telecom pecking order still stands: 3G and 4G services are slowly becoming mainstream, but don't expect new arrivals to shake up the scene. While LTE and WiMax hype builds, era of 3G still just beginning: While LTE and WiMax battle for the 4G crown, 3G technologies are coming into their own.CONTRIBUTORS: Lisa PhiferLAST UPDATED: 10 Aug 2009
Read more about 3G:- Can't tell the generations apart without a program? See our Fast Guide to Mobile Telephony.
- Expert Tim Scannell explores the question: 'Is 3G ready for prime time?'
- Lisa Phifer explains the route to '3G wireless: The long and winding road.'
- 3g.co.uk offers an introduction to 3G.
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3G wireless technology represents the convergence of various 2G wireless telecommunications systems into a single uniform global system which includes terrestrial and satellite components in its functioning. 3G or the third-generation wireless refers to near future developments in personal & business wireless technology, especially relating to mobile communications. 3G or The Third Generation will usher in many benefits as roaming capability, broad bandwidth and high speed communication (upwards of 2Mbps). Network operators & telecommunications service providers are embracing the recently adopted global third generation (3G) wireless standards in order to cater to emerging user demands and to offer new services to their customers.3G wireless technology represents a shift from voice-centric services to multimedia-oriented like video, voice, data, fax services. The most interesting & useful aspect of 3G wireless technology is its ability to unify existing cellular standards such as GSM, CDMA and TDMA
3G -> Features PACKET EVERYWHERE
With Third Generation (3G), the information is split into separate but related “packets” before being transmitted and reassembled at the receiving end. Packet switching is similar to a jigsaw puzzle- the image that the puzzle represents is divided into pieces at the manufacturing factory and put into a plastic bag. During transportation of the now boxed jigsaw from the factory to the end user, the pieces get jumbled up. When the recipient empties the bag with all the pieces, they are reassembled to form the original image. All the pieces are all related and fit together, but the way they are transported and assembled varies. Packet switched data formats are much more common than their circuit switched counterparts. Other examples of packet-based data standards include TCP/IP, X.25, Frame Relay and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). As such, whilst packet switching is new to the GSM world, it is well established elsewhere. In themobile world, CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data), PDCP (Personal Digital Cellular Packet), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) and wireless X.25 technologies have been in operation for several years. X.25 is the international public access packet radio data network standard. INTERNET EVERYWHERE
The World Wide Web is becoming the primary
communications interface- people access the Internet for entertainment and information collection, the intranet for accessing company information and connecting with colleagues and the extranet for accessing customers and suppliers. These are all derivatives of the World Wide Web aimed at connecting different communities of interest. There is a trend away from storing information locally in specific software packages on PCs to remotely on the Internet. When you want to check your schedule or contacts, instead of using a software package such as “Act!”, you go onto the Internet site such as a portal. Hence, web browsing is a very important application for packet data.
HIGH SPEED
Speeds of up to 2 Megabits per second (Mbps) are achievable with Third Generation (3G). The data transmission rates will depend upon the environment the call is being made in- it is only indoors and in stationary environments that these types of data rates will be available. For high mobility, data rates of 144 kbps are expected to be available- this is only about three times the speed of today’s fixed telecoms modems.
NEW APPLICATIONS, BETTER APPLICATIONS
Third Generation (3G) facilitates several new applications that have not previously been readily available over mobile networks due to the limitations in data transmission speeds. These applications range from Web Browsing to file transfer to Home Automation- the ability to remotely access and control in-house appliances and machines. Because of the bandwidth increase, these applications will be even more easily available with 3G than they were previously with interim technologies such as GPRS.
SERVICE ACCESS
To use Third Generation (3G), users specifically need:
A mobile phone or terminal that supports Third Generation (3G) A subscription to a mobile telephone network that supports Third Generation (3G) Use of Third Generation (3G) must be enabled for that user.Automatic access to the 3G may be allowed by some mobile network operators, others will charge a monthly subscription and require a specific opt-in to use the service as they do with other nonvoice mobile services Knowledge of how to send and/ or receive Third Generation (3G) information using their specific model of mobile phone, including software and hardware configuration (this creates a customer service requirement) A destination to send or receive information through Third Generation (3G). From day one, Third Generation (3G) users can access any web page or other Internet applications- providing an immediate critical mass of users. These user requirements are not expected to change much for the meaningful use of 3G.
